


Melting for You

by FebruaryFlowerss



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Eventual Sex, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff and Humor, Getting to Know Each Other, Holidays, Kissing, Meant To Be, Morning After, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:46:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28776285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FebruaryFlowerss/pseuds/FebruaryFlowerss
Summary: The universe will always give you exactly what you need. Especially on Christmas Eve... The plan that Lexie Grey had for Christmas didn't work out. But that happened only because the universe has something much better prepared for her and that comes in the shape of a man who didn't want to be alone on Christmas either... AU Slexie meeting...
Relationships: Lexie Grey/Mark Sloan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not a native English speaker, so my grammar and spelling may not always be correct, I try my best...  
> Hope you enjoy...
> 
> Disclaimer – Characters are the property of their respective owners.

Lexie Grey took another sip of wine and then checked the clock on the wall for the 15th time. She had been sitting at her "3 months forward reserved" table for two, for an hour, all by herself.

_He will come. He promised. There is no way that he’s gonna bail on me. He probably just got stuck in traffic. It is Christmas Eve after all. Traffic is probably brutal. He is not gonna bail on me. Not on Christmas._

Taking another sip, she turned on her phone and texted him again. The fourth time.

-Are you coming soon? I’m sitting by myself for like an hour. Please hurry up...

Still no response. She texted him the first time when she was in a cab. He didn’t respond, and she told herself it was probably because he was in a hurry. The second time, after she ordered a bottle of wine. No response again. And the third time after her first glass of wine, when she really started to worry that he won’t show up at all. And that sick feeling in her throat just grew stronger. 

Lexie was staring at her phone, praying for some text to pop up, when a soft polite voice got her attention.

“Excuse me, miss, are you ready to order?“ The same waiter who welcomed her when she arrived _alone_ and served her that bottle of wine she ordered _alone_ , smiled at her. Lexie briefly wondered if he actually felt sorry for her. Maybe destroyed dates were something he was seeing on a regular base. Maybe, but probably not on Christmas Eve. When everything is about being with people that you love and… not bailing on them, leaving them to sit by themselves in preoccupied expensive restaurants. 

She already scanned space around her, and she was the only one who was sitting by herself. How pathetic, how embarrassing, how miserable...

“Uhm, not yet, I’m waiting for someone. He should be here any minute.“ she managed to answer in a shaky, uncertain voice. The young waiter just nodded, probably in pity, and walked away. 

_Who the hell are you lying to?_

The room full of laughter, touching hands over the table, candles, Christmas lights, sparkles and everything else that usually made her feel joyful now made her feel like she was about to throw up.

God, she loved Christmas, she loved it so much, she spent months preparing for this perfect night. She needed to make it perfect. The first Christmas Eve without her mom, without her family. That felt so painful. So unnatural.

But spending it with her boyfriend should be at least almost as good. It should. Except the boyfriend was God knows where.

After sending the fifth text, she decided that if he doesn’t show up in 15 minutes she is out of there, and out of his life for good. He knew how much Christmas was important to her. And not showing up here, for whatever reason, without calling or texting, was telling her exactly how much she was important to him.

…

So… how many people are alone on the Christmas Eve?

Mark Sloan was gazing at the snowy streets through the window of the cab. There were cafés, restaurants, hotels glowing in the cold winter night. Most people don’t even work on Christmas. But he did. Most people have plans for Christmas. He didn’t. Most people don’t spend Christmas at their apartment, eating ordered Italian food and drinking scotch without even bothering to take a look at the firework at the end of the night. Most people don’t spend the Christmas Eve alone. That really hit him.

Usually, when he felt lonely like that, he would be at the random bar picking up some random woman, and he would feel a lot better in the morning. But tonight was different. Mark knew he had a lot of flaws, but he also had some kind of conscience. And that meant one thing. Special nights, like Christmas Eve, cannot be spent with ordinary women who just sit and drink their martini while waiting to be picked up. It’s just... it doesn’t feel right.

Watching all the restaurants that his cab was passing by, he felt jealous of how happy people inside looked. All dressed up, not doing anything except enjoying the evening… So what if he was alone? There was no rule that says that he can’t have an amazing dinner and drink the finest scotch by himself. Yes, he could have that home as well, but... What was preventing him to have someone serve him that scotch? He definitely deserved that. He deserved to have some expensive dinner too. He was working his ass off the last couple of weeks. Alone or not, he deserved to treat himself for Christmas. And that’s what he’ll do.

When the cab stopped in front of Mark’s building he told the driver that he would pay him an extra bonus if he waits for him for a half an hour. That should be enough for him to quickly get changed into something classy. When he got back into a cab, in his favorite navy blue suit, he gave a driver a new address. An address of the great restaurant that he already visited a few times, with some colleagues, the place he thought was great, newly open, with some great food and great scotch. The only thing he had left to do was praying that there was actually a free table in such a night.

…

Entering the restaurant, the first thing that caught Mark’s eye was a giant Christmas tree in the middle of the room with a big golden star on top. The capacious room was half-dimed, with a main lights turned off, but a bunch of Christmas lights on every corner and a few candles on every table made the perfect romantic atmosphere. He stepped in a little further, passed between a couple of tables, waiting for some waiter to notice him.

As one did so, Mark could tell from a sad look on the waiter’s face that he wasn’t about to hear a good news. “I’m sorry, sir, but there is no available table. Reservations for tonight started mouths ago and...“ 

“Uhh, excuse me...“ Both men’s heads turned at the voice behind them. “There is... I think I’m gonna head home. He can take my table.“

Mark looked at the woman who was sitting alone at the table, as she put her phone into her purse and pulled out a wallet. She smiled politely at him, but it was clear that she must use all of her inner strength to do so.

“Are you sure about that? I’m positive your date is going to show up...“ The waiter started, but as she glared at him, clearly offended, and her cheeks got flushed up, he immediately apologized, “I’m so sorry. As you wish.“

“I’m sure.“ she stated firmly, her cheeks still flaming with embarrassment. “Can I get a check now, please?“ Then she added looking at Mark. “I’ll be out of here in a minute.“ 

“No!“ Mark exclaimed quickly, earning confused glares from both, the woman and the waiter. “I mean, I don’t mind if you want to stay. With me. I’ll be happy to have some company… You should think twice about leaving the table that, as I heard, had been reserved for months.“

“I...“ She looked completely startled. Having dinner with a stranger definitely wasn’t her plan for tonight. And as he put her in a spot, she didn’t know what to answer, or how to react.

“I’m not pressuring you... It’s just a suggestion. I understand if you have some other planes.“ Mark continued, clearing his intentions. The last thing he wanted was to forcefully make her stay if she would later pray for the evening to end as soon as possible. He stepped a little closer to the table. “But if you don’t... It’s Christmas Eve, I really hoped I wouldn’t spend it alone. And I think you shouldn’t either.“ Her cheeks were finally calming down, when he flashed her a wide, charming smile that made her blush again.

“You know what, you’re right. I really don’t want to… be alone for Christmas.“ She couldn’t believe what she just said. She just agreed to have dinner with someone whose name she didn’t know. He could be a serial killer for all that she knew. A very hot serial killer... but still. 

“I’m always right.“ Mark stated, winking at her.

“And humble.“ she added laughing, probably for the first time that night.

“So... can we get the menus please? And a bottle of scotch? The best you have?“ Mark turned to the waiter who was still standing next to him with a shocked but delighted look on his face. This kind of thing definitely wasn’t something that’s happening daily. “Right away.“ 

Mark pulled back the chair next to her so he could sit, and before he did so, he leaned forward extending his hand towards her. “Mark Sloan.“

“Lexie Grey.“ She shook his hand as she held his gaze and felt her stomach fluttering a little. A lot.

As he sat down, Mark just couldn’t help himself, but to roam all over her body, at least at part of it that he could see.

Sparky black sleeved dress fit her slim body perfectly, and half-pinned wavy hair completed that picture. The way she was sitting, leaning against the table with her forearms resting in front of her… that made really hard for Mark not to stare at the skin exposed thanks to deep v-neck her dress had. So he tried his best to look at her face and her face only, and there weren’t any complaints about that as well. She was beautiful.

“Well, I must say I am impressed. You just agreed to have dinner with a complete stranger. I like how open-minded you are.“ Mark admitted smirking at her. This being only dinner or not, he’s not gonna be any less flirty than he usually is.

“As long as you’re not a serial killer. Or psychopathic stalker. Or something like that.“ Lexie answered, looking at her glass as she took a big gulp of wine. Then her eyes settled on him. “You’re not, are you?“

“Are you?“

“I asked you first!“

“And if I don’t answer that, you’re gonna say you have to go to the restroom, and I’ll never see you again?“ After those words, he leaned a little towards her in a dangerous way that made her shiver. She wasn’t sure though, did that happen because of his action or his words. 

“Probably... yeah.“ she replied, widening her eyes in the way that was that stated the obvious.

“Well, I can’t let that happen. So no, I’m not a serial killer... or psychopath. You don’t have to worry.“

Before she could say anything the waiter appeared again, bringing one glass and a bottle of scotch, along with menus. “Here you go, I’ll be back when you’re ready to order.“

“Thank you.“ they replied simultaneously.

“You know, even If I were a serial killer, you gave me your name so I could easily track you down and... find you, if I want to. Even if you manage to escape tonight.“ Mark stated the second after they were left alone again.

“Well if that’s the case, I guess that I’ll learn something from having dinners with strangers.“ For some reason, actually no, not some reason, sitting at the table with a person you never met was _the reason,_ Lexie kind of had a problem to look at him for longer than two seconds. It seemed a little… _intense._

“Either way, that’s better than having dinners alone.“ His tone changed a little bit. It became a little softer, with a glimpse of pity. “Can I ask why are you alone on Christmas Eve?“

Lexie narrowed her eyes at him. For a second. Before her look fall down again. There is no way that he missed “I’m positive your date is going to show up” words that were literally the first words he heard about her. Hopefully, his intention wasn’t to embarrass her.

“Well, I don’t have an answer for that.” When he raised his eyebrows, she knew he wanted to hear more. “I wasn’t supposed to be alone. But my company never appeared and never even bothered to inform me that he’s not going to be here.“ She was surprised by her own words. She didn’t have an intention to tell him all of that. But it felt like relying on the kindness of strangers is actually a real thing.

“He?“ Mark frowned. She was staring down and her fingers were brushing over the edge of her half-full glass. 

“My boyfriend. Well, ex now, I guess. There is no way that I’m gonna even try to fix this, and it doesn’t feel like he’ll try to do something about it either. But it hurts, you know… Christmas is very important to me and I wanted it to be perfect.“ Lexie explained, trying to sound as less pathetic as she can manage. Suddenly realizing the painful but real truth behind her own words, she needed to change the subject and inhaling deeply, asked him, “What about you? Why are you alone?“ She then looked up at him, really look at him, as she waited for his response.

Lexie expected from him to also have some kind of sad, pathetic story, because she was absolutely sure that there was no person on the planet who would be alone on Christmas by choice. But then again, she couldn’t exactly imagine _him_ being dumped by someone like she was… because she couldn’t imagine a woman who would actually let him wait at the restaurant by himself for more than five minutes. She knew she wouldn’t.

“Didn’t really feel like making plans. To be honest, I decided to come here in a last moment.“ Mark answered.

“People always have plans for Christmas.“ she stated nostalgically.

“Do they? Did you plan to end up where you are right now?“ he asked… even if he already knew the answer.

“Not exactly...“ she whispered, slowly realizing his point.

“You see. You had a plan, and it didn’t work out. I didn’t have a plan, and I end up here with you. And I’m… more than happy… because of that.“ he said huskily, looking at her, as he took the first sip of his drink.


	2. Chapter 2

“Woah woah woah, wait a second. You’re a surgeon? For real?“ Lexie almost choked on her beef steak. More than a half of her wine bottle disappeared, and she was a lot more relaxed than at the beginning of the evening. She was smiling and laughing a lot more too. And that was something that a handsome man in front of her clearly enjoyed seeing.

“No, Lexie, I’m an imaginary one. Did you notice how all of these people are looking at you?“ Lexie narrowed her eyes and looked around, trying to figure out what was he implying. “Like you escaped a loony bin? It’s because all of this time, you’ve been just talking to an empty chair.“

Mark couldn’t remember the last time he met a woman who made him comfortable enough to make that kind of jokes without feeling bad. And her humor was just one of many things about her that amazed him.

Playfully rolling her eyes, her hand instinctively headed towards his, like she actually believed him for a second. His smile faded when he felt her warm and soft fingers caressing his knuckles. Secretly praying for them to never pull back, but also for her to not notice a half fallen jaw grimace on his face, Mark bluntly stared at her and tried his best to memorize the way her skin felt against his. He felt his skin grow hotter within every second.

“You feel pretty real to me.“ Lexie whispered and then slowly took her hand away from his, realizing how her action made the surrounding air suddenly felt a lot heavier. “And anyway, that’s not what I meant. I’m just surprised. And delighted. I’m a surgical resident myself. Forth year.“ she proudly exclaimed, and tangled her fingers in front of her, preventing them to again reach for the places they are not suppose to.

“Wow. I definitely didn’t see that coming. Impressive.“ His face got lighten up in a smile again at that discovery.

“So, what is your specialty?“

“Plastics... And I’m also an ENT.“ he added, not wanting to leave anything that could amaze her even more.

“Well, that’s impressive...“ she declared, emphasizing the word _impressive_. Her eyes were glowing in amazement. “I haven't actually chosen anything yet. I mean, for the last couple of months I’m slightly leaning towards the neuro, but I don’t know. When did you start to feel like plastics is _just right_ for you?“

“I honestly don’t know.“ Mark admitted, “What I do know is that now... I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.“

“I wish for that. That way you feel... doing something you know is _just right_ for you.“ she said dreamily.

“Come on, don’t worry... You gonna find yourself too.“ he comforted her, this time his hand reaching for her and landing on her shoulder. She shivered a little, clearly surprised by his movement. His hand slowly traced over her bare skin, from her shoulder over her upper arm before he pulled away and commented, “And thank you for reacting like that. People don’t usually get all _wow_ when they hear I’m a _plastic_ surgeon. The first thing they always think about is...“

“Boob jobs?“ Lexie raised her eyebrows in question.

“Yeah, boob jobs.“ Mark laughed at her _let’s pretend it_ _wasn’t_ _so blunt_ assumption. “But they obviously don’t know that our planet is actually full of women who would pay 7,000 dollars for me just to get them one.“

“It’s not bad. I wouldn’t pay that much. Even for you.“ she teased him, as she took another sip of wine, looking at him from under lashes.

“And how much would you pay?“ He purposely lowered his tone a little. “For me.“

“I will have to think about it.“ Lexie answered laughing, and then added, “For now, I think we should stop talking about boob jobs.“

“You started it.“ Mark raised his hands in defense.

“Me? I think you had enough of that scotch.“ She burst into laughter again. A few strands of her brown hair fell over her face. “Why would I, between the two of us, start the conversation about boobs?“

“I think you had enough of that wine because you clearly don’t remember what you said just a minute ago.“ he replied, as his fingers grabbed the stem of her glass and pulled it a little towards him and away from her. She immediately grabbed the glass to pull it back, softly brushing her fingers against his.

Shyly ducking her head and pushing the strands of hair that previously fell behind her ear, Lexie quietly admitted, “I’m sorry. My inner filter is kind of non-existing even when I’m not buzzed.“

“I don’t mind. I like when people say exactly what’s on their mind. No hidden motives or anything…“ _Hidden motives... Is it possible for a man to have a beautiful, sexy and humorous woman in front of him and not have a hidden motive?_ They talked, they laughed, and for him, it was just getting harder and harder to accept that all of that is gonna end soon. And he hoped she felt the same.

“But Mark, you say that now...“ Her words brought him back from the same trans she put him in. “I don’t know will you think the same at the end of the night.“ Lexie’s eyes widened at the realization of what she just said. “Evening. At the end of the evening. You see, I just did it... I say things, before actually thinking about them and then... then sometimes people come to the wrong conclusion.“ Lexie started rambling and then gestured her hand towards him. “Like you probably just did...“

“Like I said, no hidden motives.“ Mark smirked leaning slightly towards her face.

“Like I said, wrong conclusion.“ Lexie’s cheeks flushed as an actual thought of them spending the whole night together popped up in her mind.

He was widely smiling as his suggestive words left his mouth. “If you say so... but hey, I would be flattered if you indeed want to...“

“Do not. finish. that. sentence.“ She playfully pointed towards his face as she emphasized every word. “This is... this is just a dinner.“ Lexie added, lowering her voice. “Christmas dinner, but still...“

She didn’t know where that came from. It’s not only that Mark turned this night from terrible to amazing, but he was funny, he was sweet, he was charming, he was confident in the way that made her like him more than it should... Let’s not forget how incredibly attractive he was. Like... insanely. In the way that his eyes on her were literally causing her to melt. But she didn’t know him. Not really. For God’s sake, she met him an hour ago. And she wasn’t one-night stand kind of girl. So there is no way that she would get out of this without getting hurt if she let this go any further than a dinner.

And not to mention that she was still kind of involved with someone else. Someone who bailed on her on the most special night of the year... so that fact probably doesn’t count anymore. 

“Why?“ Mark’s voice returned her to earth.

“Why what?“ she asked, hoping that he wasn’t referring to suggestion about them spending the whole night together.

“Why you’re making so big deal out of this day?“

“Because... no matter how hard life is at the moment, you can always use this one day... to just be happy, unconditionally, no matter what you're going through or how bad you were feeling lately, you know?“ Her lips curved into a warm smile. _Oh God, why she had to smile like that? Why she had to make him feel like they had known each other for years? Why was she everything that a man like him should be afraid to want?_

“I understand, I decided to come here for similar reason. Because I didn’t want this night to be like any other.“ That was the truth. But he didn’t have the intention to end up here. He didn’t plan to end up with _someone._

“Exactly. It shouldn’t be like any other night.“

Lexie inhaled and shook her head like she was trying to chase some thoughts away. Mark narrowed his eyes at her suddenly changed mood. Her smile faded away, and Mark could see her eyes glowing, but this time it was different from every other time that night. “Christmas was pretty important to my mom.“ she added quietly. “That’s why I wanted to be perfect. This one especially… It’s the first one without her.“

Lexie felt tears begin to sting her eyes and she tried to blink them away. “I’m sorry. I just... I need to use the restroom.“

For the first time that night, no screw that… for the first time in years, Mark didn’t know what to say to a woman. What was he supposed to say? He was just staring at her, as her hand went up to wipe the tear from her cheek.

Lexie stood up and fixed her dress in a few quick motions, when he tried to say something...

“Lexie...“

“I’m sorry, I just need a minute.“ she mumbled, trying not to look at him.

“Lexie.“ Mark tried again. He wanted to get up and follow her, but he was frozen in the place. He couldn’t think, let alone move as he watched her walking away from the table.

It had been a minute, or maybe even less than that, but he felt like he was sitting there by himself for hours. He felt a sick feeling in his stomach, guilt and regret for not being able to say anything, or do anything. He thought about following her and checking if she’s alright. But he just couldn’t bring himself to do that... He wasn’t the man who does that. He wasn’t the man who cared about other people’s feelings. But he cared. He wanted to know if she’s okay.

The moment he finally decided to swallow his pride and go check on her, some kind of vibration distracted him. He reached into his pocket, but it wasn’t his phone.

It was hers. On the table, right next to her glass, her phone was buzzing. He hated himself for not hesitating for even a second before reaching for it, but he just couldn’t help it. Hoping that it was only some family member wanting to wish her a Merry Christmas and not anyone that could ruin their evening, Mark pulled her phone towards him to see who was calling.

Rolling his eyes and sighing heavily, Mark slowly leaned back in his chair. Should he tell her whose name he read… yeah, probably. Did he want to… absolutely not. 


	3. Chapter 3

Lexie stared at her reflection in the restroom mirror, trying to normilaze her breathing.

 _Oh God, did she just start crying in front of him?_ Yes, she did. She just showed him how big of a crybaby she is. And now she’s making him wait. Sitting alone at the table, and probably cursing himself for ever deciding to come here.

She found a tissue in her purse and in the most careful way she could manage wiped ruined mascara from under her eyes. After tossing it in the trash can, she looked at her reflection again. Okay, if we exclude a slightly ruined make up, it didn’t look like she was crying. Hopefully...

“Hey, I’m really sorry about that.“ she told Mark when she got out of the restroom and reached their table.

“You’re okay?“ he asked worried, getting up from his chair, so he could take a better look at her face. He could see the slight redness in her eyes, the flush of her cheeks and that was enough for him to guess it took her more than just that one tear he witnessed before she left for the restroom.

“Yeah.“ Lexie quietly answered, smiling slightly at him. She couldn’t figure why, but just the simple fact that he asked her if she was okay made her happier than she’d been the whole evening. He cared if she was okay. And he didn’t even know her. Why should he care?

“Good.“ Mark smiled back at her. Their eyes lock for a second, but she quickly looked away, biting her lip when she felt her cheeks starting to burn. Again. For like thousandth time. Mark grinned to himself and a moment after he reached for his winter coat. Lexie’s smile faded away in the painful realization that their time together probably just ran out. He was done. They were done.

“You’re leaving?“

She bit her tongue at how disappointed her voice sounded. She knew this moment would come. But that didn’t stop her hoping it would never come. She tried to come up with something to say, something that could make him want to stay just a little longer. She didn’t want him to leave.

“We’re leaving.“ he corrected her.

_Wait, what?_

“We are? Like… together?“ Lexie narrowed her eyes at him, at what he just nodded. “And where are we going?“ After pulling his coat on, he grabbed hers as well and gestured her to turn around, so he could help her put it on. And she did.

Strange tingling ran down her whole body as she felt his hot breath against her neck as he spoke, “For your perfect Christmas evening you planned only one little dinner?“

Mark knew it should end there. And he repeated that in his head again and again. And he knew that for him the best would be to just walk her to the cab, send her home and then go home himself. Watch television or something and just forget about this whole thing. Just forget about her.

“No, not at all.“ Lexie answered, but her voice cracked as she felt Mark carefully fisting her hair from behind to put it over her coat. His fingers ran through it a few times just to make sure there were no strands that got stuck in the process.

“So where you wanna go?“ he asked as she turned to face him again.

 _Anywhere..._ Thanks God her inner filter worked at least good enough to stop that to come out.

“Mark... I enjoyed this so much, I really did. Just a little while ago I thought I would just go home and cry myself to sleep, but then _you_ showed up, and you made this evening... _amazing._ And I had much better Christmas than I thought I would… but you really don’t have to do this anymore, I mean, you must have someone you rather be with...“

“I don’t.“ he interrupted her. Without hesitating. Without doubt. His mind couldn’t come up with an actual person he would want to be right now, except her. “And you’re right, this, the time we spent together, felt absolutely amazing. I don’t want it to end...“ From the grimace on her face, Mark knew she didn’t expect that kind of reaction from him. Hell, he didn’t expect it. He didn’t know where it came from. He only knew that he wasn’t ready to let her go. Not yet. “So… where you wanna go?“

...

“You couldn’t choose a more crowded place?“ Lexie sarcastically asked Mark as they walked through snowy trails of Central Park. Predictably, the park was full of life. And at every step there were some kind of light decorations… around Christmas trees, and in all kinds of shapes such as reindeers, snowflakes, Christmas bells… 

“It’s crowded because it’s Christmas and because it’ll be beautiful, come on.“ Mark persuaded her, smiling widely at her sudden insecurity. “What is it Lex, you’re scared I’ll lose you in a crowd?“

“Well, I did get lost in a mall once when I was a kid. My parents had to ask to use an announcement speaker to tell me where we’ll meet. And all of that happened because there were a bunch of people. You know, everything was normal and then all of a sudden, I couldn’t see my parents or my sister… And I can tell you, it was not a nice feeling.“ Lexie explained laughing. She tried not to overthink the fact that he called her Lex. Not that she minded. She didn’t mind at all. “And that’s not the point anyway.“ she continued, “It’s just… we didn’t have to come here exactly. New York City spreads over 300 square miles, and you had to bring me to the Central Park?“

“Well, I love Central Park. And you asked for a light show, so you’ll get a light show. Stop complaining.“ When she told him she wanted to go somewhere where they could watch fireworks the first place he thought of was the balcony of his apartment. There they could really have an amazing look. And his rule about not spending special nights with no special woman, was no broken here. There was something special about her...

“I’m so not complaining. I’m just saying…“

But before she could even finish that sentence he interrupted her, “Ohhh... come on.“ Grabbing her hand and tangling their fingers together, he pulled her closer to the lake as fireworks were about to start. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna let you get lost.“ he added laughing, his eyes mocking her.

And it was beautiful. Absolutely fascinating. The way that every burst reflected in the water made the whole thing even more amazing. Except Mark barely looked at it.

He was looking at her. Whole damn time. He was looking at how firework reflected in her eyes. He was looking at how her lips curved into a smile with every new explosion. How her skin got pale on cold winter air. He was focusing on how her fingers, still tangled up with his, felt against his skin. There were silky and surprisingly warm, and they were firmly holding onto his, not wanting to let go. And he didn’t want to let go either.

“Hey, I have to tell you something.“ Those words left his mouth before he could stop them. That thought was biting his insides since they left the restaurant. God knows how much he didn’t want to tell her that. He could see her letting go of his hand and walking away. After all, she had planned to spend this night with _him_. And if _he_ did show up a few hours ago like he was supposed to… nothing of this would happen.

“I saw that he called. If that's what you're talking about.“ she whispered, still looking at the dark but sparkly mottled sky. 

Okay, he did not expect that. She saw? And she didn’t care? And she didn’t call back? And she’s actually still here? With him?

“And you’re still here?“ was all Mark manage to ask.

“I want to be here. And anyway, it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s over. He was kind of too late, don’t you think?“ Finally taking her eyes off the sky and looking right at him, she widely smiled. Lexie understood why his face had disbelief written all over it. When she saw the missed call on her phone, the first thing that came up in her mind was that she should immediately call back. But that thought, that feeling, that moment passed. Simply as that. Maybe part of her still wanted to call back. But the part that wanted to stay with Mark was a lot bigger. “What?“ she asked, her laughter quieting at his serious stare. 

“Nothing… Nothing, it’s just... you didn’t deserve to get stood up like that. I mean it. On Christmas Eve or not. I wouldn’t do that to you. For whatever reason.“ he said, almost whispering, like he was slightly embarrassed by the words he was saying, but he wanted to say them anyway.

“Wow, who would expect that you could talk so romantic.“ Lexie didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable, but she couldn’t help but to take a little pride in it. For all that she learned about him, he was not a romantic type of guy.

“Because I’m not a man who usually talk that romantic.“ he affirmed her thoughts.

Letting go of his hand, but only to put both of her palms against his chest, she got closer to him and smiling tenderly, she whispered, “Then I’m guessing Christmas just brings that out of you.“ 

“Maybe it’s not Christmas.“

“So what is it?“

His hands found their place on her waist, holding her firmly in place. That was it, she couldn’t run away anymore, even if she wanted to. He gave her more than one chance for that, and she didn’t take any of it. If she wanted to get away from him, she would already do that.

As he leaned in towards her, she tilted her head back a little, like she was daring him to come closer. Mark was more than happy to obey to that and the next moment his lips were pressing against hers. He could feel her lips curve into a smile against his at first, but that smile disappeared when his tongue started tracing the seam of her lips. Her fingers curled into the material of his coat as she opened her mouth for him. Returning his kiss passionately, she enjoyed the way his short beard was tickling her skin. One of his hands traveled to the small of her back embracing her tighter.

Her scent, the heat her body was giving away, and her soft lips against his were filling his senses in a way that made him want more of her. He needed more.

When she slowly pulled her head back, she intensely gazed up at his ice blue eyes.

Fingers of her right hand let go off his coat and softly brushing against his neck, landed on his pale and chilled cheek, warming it up. Mark felt how not only the coldness of his skin, but also boundaries and rules and defenses he built when it comes to woman was melting away at her gaze and her touch.

“Anywhere else you wanna go?“ he breathed out those words, leaning towards her again. Lexie warmly smiled, brushing her lips against his.


	4. Chapter 4

Mark kept his hand on the small of her back as they walked side by side, like he was afraid that she could run away. He knew that she wouldn’t though, but still. He wanted to keep her as close as possible.

He listened to her talk about something that happened on Christmas five years ago while she was in med school in Boston. Because of the cold air, every word that she breathed out was followed by a small, misty cloud. The tip of her nose was red. Her skin was pale, maybe too pale, but she still hasn’t shown any sign of feeling cold. Her pink lipstick was slightly smudged. He grinned when his eyes focused on that, _that_ was totally his fault.

“...And we got snowed inside a car for like... six hours.“ Lexie finished her story. “Do you know how it’s like to be stuck in such a small space with four people, for six hours?“ She turned her head to face him, finding him already staring back at her. 

“I wouldn’t mind getting stuck with you in a small space for six hours.“ he replied, smirking. She laughed at his response, shyly looking away. “You clearly missed _with four people_ part, but okay... line still works.“

Mark laughed back for a moment, before he moved his arm from her back to wrap it around her neck and force her to turn back to him. Leaning in, he captured her lips with his. It was a quick kiss, sloppy, they didn’t even stop walking. 

They actually didn’t stop walking since the light show ended. She found it weird how her feet, in thigh high boots didn’t start hurting. It was almost midnight and the streets of New York were teeming like always. A few times, between the talks about life and work and goals Lexie found herself wondering how the hell she ended up walking across Manhattan with a man she met just a few hours ago (for whom she still doesn’t have convincing proof that he’s not a serial killer), in a late hour, on Christmas Eve, and on top of that she was still brave enough to let herself get more and more drawn to him. Brave or... just stupid. 

And from that point on, she had absolutely no idea how that whole night was going to end. But his every word, every touch of his hands, every kiss, and freaking fact that it was freaking Christmas Eve... just amplified her fear that when the time for that comes, she won’t be able to walk away.

In fact, that time already came within few occasions. Maybe she should’ve walked away before she even met him, when she offered him her table. She could simply suck up and push aside how lonely she felt, and just go home. Except she couldn’t. She possibly could not handle being alone for Christmas. Then after that, maybe she should’ve walked away when she started crying, that was so clear warning that she had shared with him too much about herself. Maybe she shouldn’t agree to go with him to the park to watch fireworks. Because everything that happened under those damn fireworks, and continued happening, that turned her into a lost cause. Kind of lost causes she deals with at work. _I’m_ _so_ _sorry, but there was nothing we could do,_ she would say. _I’m sorry Lexie, but there is nothing you can do... because his arm is around you and his eyes are so blue and your coat absorbed too much of his cologne. There is literally nothing you can do. Is there?_

“It’s getting pretty late...“ she finally spoke, but getting a feeling that excuse wasn’t convincing enough she added, “And pretty cold... Are you gonna take a cab?“ Her defense mechanism used the word _you_ on purpose. Not _we... you._

Mark stepped forward and turned to face her, as shivers caused by fear of very possibly future rejection went down his spine, making him shudder. “No, my apartment is just a couple of blocks away.“ He pointed down the street.

An imaginary line between them was already crossed, more than once, but still... he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to try to cross it that far. But he wanted to, God, he wanted to so much. From the moment he laid eyes on her. He could imagine her bare body shivering beneath him, her smooth skin rubbing against his...

Leaning in closer and putting his hands around her waist, he found her brown eyes, so deep and beautiful but so damn unreadable. Looking at them, he knew that his were full of obvious yearning, and that was something he could not hide even if he wanted to. His gaze was intense, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the right words for it. The words that won’t scare her off, that won’t make her panic... 

That was one of the cruelest moments in his life... when he cursed himself for being so bad with words. What he damned even more was the fact that he found himself so desperate for a woman that was so reserved. If he had any common sense, he would’ve already given up on her. But his common sense clearly disintegrated without him even noticing. And _that_ was totally her fault.

“Lexie, I’ll probably end up being an idiot by getting my hopes up, but...“ he started, the muscles in his cheeks twitching. _But... but what? Please don’t end this now? I don’t remember when was the last time I was so enchanted by someone? I want you so badly?_ He does not say things like that. For him, it usually takes only a few crude comments or just a suggestive smirk to get to someone. But not her.

He wasn’t good with words. So he screwed trying to find the right ones, and putting one of his palms on her chilled cheek... he kissed her. Lexie melted in his embrace, returning his warm kiss with not any less passion. His lips were inviting and the hair on the back of his neck was silky soft.

But she knew better. She knew a lot better. And the quiet, tiny voice from the back of her mind, the only reasonable thread of her body left, was telling her exactly that.

“Ever heard of the _Reasons why you shouldn’t spend the night with a guy_ list?“ she chuckled softly against his lips, slightly pulling back. Then she cut him off before he could even think about, let alone answer to her weirdly unusual and so not expected question. “No, you haven’t, because _I_ made it up.“ she said with an awkward grin on her face.

“The fact that you have a list like that in your head doesn’t surprise me. Kind of worries me... but doesn’t surprise me. I spend the whole evening trying to figure out your strange little mind.“ Mark smiled, pulling away a bit more, observing how her eyebrows raised in surprise. “That was a compliment.“ he added, but she looked away and stepped back, whispering, “I should probably take a cab...“

When her eyes found his again, he gulped hard, accepting the rejection he knew would come eventually. Because that was what her face was showing. Barely, but still... in some sort of apologetic manner, it was enough for him to figure that out.

But somehow... it was okay. For the first time in years, he was actually more than willing to give time to someone. Normally, he would’ve tried harder to persuade a woman, and if that didn’t work he would’ve just forgotten about her and move on to the next one. But he didn’t. Because somehow, that night he had a feeling that everything’s gonna work out. Because of her, he felt an appetite growing within him for something better, bigger, more meaningful...

“Do you have the _Reasons why I shouldn’t give my phone number to a guy_ list?“

“I thought you only needed my name to find me, _mister I’m not a serial killer._ “ Her lips were curved into a soft smile, even with a mocking tone in her voice.

“Okay then... Lexie Grey.“ His face had made a confused grimace for a second, before he asked, smirking, “It’s not really _just_ Lexie, is it?“

“Alexandra.“

“Alexandra.“ he repeated, only so he could hear how it sounds coming out of his mouth.

“Can I just ask something?“ His voice suddenly took a serious note, as he raised his hand to signalize some cab to stop. When a yellow car stopped next to them, he directed his attention completely to her again. Staring straight in her eyes, he breathed out words that maybe he shouldn’t have. He shouldn’t have given himself the right to ask that. On every level, it was unfair and unjustified. He should’ve asked himself that. Not her. “Are you scared you won’t feel the same in the morning?“ 

Her heart skipped a beat. It skipped a few beats for that matter. Deeply sighing, she didn’t have a second thought but to give him an honest answer. “I’m scared I will.“ _And I’m scared you won’t._

“You know, I don’t usually take women to watch fireworks. In fact, I never took anyone to watch a firework.“ He again tried to find the right words to point out that for him… it was a special night as much as he hoped it was for her.

“Well, you said you didn’t want this night to be like every other. So... thank you, Mark, for that... And thank you for this beautiful Christmas Eve.“ This time, it was her, finally gathering enough courage to lean in for another kiss, when loud _beep_ coming from a cab, disturbed her motion.

Quickly glancing towards the car, Lexie took her time to go for his lips anyway. She didn’t know if he was serious about calling her, or finding her, or whatever he was planning to do. She didn’t know if that was only a line, that he had used already a thousand times. She didn’t know if she made a right decision about turning down his clear invitation to his apartment.

She didn’t know if that was their last kiss. That’s why she tried to remember it the best she could. The way his lips were still warm against hers, the way his beard was tickling her, the way his arms were around her hugging her tightly, the scent of his cologne, the taste of his lips... she tried to remember everything. Another annoying _beep_ made her pull away, and smiling widely, without another word, she opened the door of a cab.

Mark smiled back and after waiting a few seconds, he mouthed _Merry Christmas_ and turned around, walking away.

Everything hit her at once. She suddenly felt really cold, almost freezing and her feet started hurting. She suddenly felt horribly alone. Just like at the beginning of the evening, when she was waiting all alone at the restaurant.

Lexie had no idea what exactly happened or what was going through her mind. That minute of her life was so intangible, that she couldn’t even describe it. It felt like one of those moments, inexplicable in significance, when everything becomes a blur by some overwhelming feeling.

Her hand was still holding a door of the cab, and she was just about to step in, except... she didn’t. One moment, she was watching Mark walk away, her heart pounding in her chest. She hoped that he would turn around. She wanted him to just stop walking and turn around. She didn’t want him to go.

The next moment she slammed the door of a cab and called out his name...

At first Mark thought he only imagined it. That he heard her voice call out for him just because he wanted to hear it. But he turned around anyway.

She took a second to try to work out how to explain herself. Everything that came up in her mind sounded stupid. Thankfully, the delightful smile that spread across his face wasn’t asking for an explanation.

Without a word, Lexie crossed the short distance between the two of them, and literally jumping into his arms, she fused her lips with his. He mumbled her name the moment he managed to take in some air. He was kissing her hard, fast, almost rushed… She actually chose to come back. She chose not to end their night.

And recognizing that, Mark knew he was done randomly kissing her on the open streets of New York for one night. He wanted to take her home… so he could kiss her between the sheets of his bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Lexie slightly gasped in shock when her palm came in contact with an ice-cold glass of a window, not expecting it to be that chilly. She shivered involuntarily, annoyed at herself for leaving the warmth and coziness of the bed in the first place. But it was more than worth it.

Her eyes roamed over the city in the dark winter night, admiring the beautiful view. Every corner of New York that her gaze could reach was covered by a thick layer of snow. Even in the middle of the night, she could still see people wandering the streets. It was, indeed, very special night.

She suddenly felt someone’s presence behind her and a firm and warm grip around her waist.

“For a second, I actually thought you ran away.“ Mark whispered huskily, his beard skimming over the skin on the side of her neck. Something about his voice immediately quickened her pulse.

“And I thought you finally fell asleep.“ she chuckled, but her quiet laughter quickly became inaudible as she felt a series of wet kisses down her neck and over her shoulder. Her hand reached behind to burrow into his hair.

“So you could run away?“ he mockingly mumbled into her shoulder, as his hands left her waist to undo that one button she managed to buckle when she put on his shirt. 

She wanted to laugh again, she tried to, but she couldn’t breathe normally, constantly gasping, as fingers of his right hand traced the line over her bare skin from between her breasts, across her abdomen, settling on the inside of her right thigh and rubbing her skin gently.

Not being able to resist the temptation and silently asking from him to continue, Lexie leaned back, focusing on the warm feeling that every single inch of his skin was giving away. But he didn’t continue. His touch disappeared as he pulled his hand back and landed it again on her waist, teasing her, “You wouldn’t do that, would you Lex?“

Without answering Lexie turned around, raised on the tip of her toes and covered his mouth with hers. The softness of her lips against his was telling him a lot more than a simple _No I wouldn’t_ ever could. The warmth of her palms slowly sliding over his muscular abdomen, only strengthen that silent promise, also adding _I couldn’t_. Their lips move together slowly. So slowly... in the way that took her by surprise. He wasn't slow and patient like this before…

...

The moment the door of his apartment slammed shut behind them, Mark was all over her, pressing every inch of himself against her, full of desire and need and anticipation that was gathering in his body the whole evening. Her dress hit the floor, along with most of his clothes before they even reached the bedroom. His hands hungrily explored every part of her body that was out of reach and hidden until that very moment, when he finally had her in the way which gave him an opportunity to show her how big of affection he had for her. 

...

But now, it was different. His hands were caressing her body at slow, steady pace, but not with any less passion that the first time. Mark pushed the material of his shirt down her shoulders, letting it fall on the floor. Her hands drifted from his chest to his hair and eventually settled around his neck, her fingers tangled together as her elbows rested on his board shoulders.

Mark felt her moan softly into the kiss, and he wanted her to be louder. He stooped a little, putting his hands primarily on her ass, his thumb stroking against the skin tenderly, then sliding down on the back side of her thighs, inviting her to jump into his arms.

When she did so, wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing herself against his groin, he caught her easily, without the smallest difficulty. She giggled between the kisses as Mark firmly held her.

He took a few steps across the dimmed room, covering the short distance from the window to the bed and then knelt on the mattress, laying her down. 

Mark watched the expression on her face that was a mixture of lust and amazement, as he bent over her. He found her eyes for a second, before his lips reached down for one of her breast, on what she reacted sharply whimpering. He switched to the other and then his lips followed the trace of her neck, sucking and biting on it gently. Hovering above her face, he whispered against her lips, “That feels good?“

 _It felt good._ She felt so damn good. In the way that made her feel like she’s on top of the world and like she wants to run for the hills at the same time.

Lexie just weakly nodded and moaned incoherently in reply, focusing on how every individual kiss he was leaving on her face melted her more and more. She tried to come up with an answer for a question in her head, why it felt so natural and safe to be held against a person who was a complete stranger when she woke up that morning.

She never went to bed with a man she met the same day. Or more particularly, same... night. For her, everything was always well planned out. She gulped at the thought that it took him only a couple of hours to turn her world around and completely change her perspective. But she didn’t want to think about painful possibility that she didn’t have the same effect on him.

A warning bell rang as she felt his hand settling between her legs, stroking her. When he heard her mumbling his name in a plea, Mark finally gave up on teasing and sink into her. Lexie moaned out loud and lifted her hips just like the first time, encouraging him to go deeper, even though it took her a few seconds to accept him.

He closed his eyes and lowered his head down to bury his face into the crock of her neck, groaning into her ear. One of her hands went to his back, while the other one found the back of his neck, keeping him in place, as Mark began to steadily thrust inside of her. Her breath was coming out in gasps, every incoming one shorter than the previous one, as her body rocked with his.

Mark lifted his face from her neck and looked at her, continuing to move inside her without a pause. He drank in the sight of her, burning the image of her tiny body trembling under him into his mind. The sight he yearned to see so badly. A smile spread over his face, and catching her smirking back to him, he bowed down and devoured her mouth with his.

His thrust became faster and harder, as he felt his lungs burning, and her soft moans spurring him on. Lexie’s hand reached to stroke his cheek, and she panted his name… what only made him more persistent to push her deeper into the haze of pleasure. Gasping loudly, her back arched and her head dug into the pillow beneath her. Shortly afterwards, he followed her over the edge, captivated at the sight of her falling apart by _his_ touch. Panting, Mark collapsed on top of her, his head finding the place on her chest that was bouncing up and down with every still heavy breath she took.

“Oh God, that was amazing.“ he mumbled into her sweaty skin, as he felt her fingers tangling into his hair. He lifted his head a bit, opening his eyes just to look at her face, finding her already staring back at him. Propping on his forearms, his lips shifted from her chest, up her neck, tracing the line of her jaw towards her ear, finally whispering, “You’re amazing.“

Her eyes followed him in fascination, as he fell down on his side, nuzzling her shoulder. Afraid that whatever comes out of her mouth would ruin that perfect moment, she just widely smiled.

Every single thought that ran through her mind suddenly faded away, washed by the existence of an unwanted question – what now? 

But that question soon lost any meaning and significance when she found herself tucked against his side under the sheets. His gaze wasn't leaving her even for a second and there was a familiar smirk all over his face. She’s not going anywhere.

“So tell me. Was this _special_ enough for you? And for your perfect holiday?“ Mark asked, propping himself on his elbow, while his other hand was tracing aimless lines over her abdomen.

Lexie rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly on the chest. Her playfulness then disappeared, as she shyly but with certainty whispered, “It was... more than that.“

Her perfectly pinned hair earlier was ruined, spread all around her head. Her skin felt hot against his. Her lips were swollen, but still inviting. And what just happened, she found _more_ than special. All of that was more than enough for Mark to wish for her again. And again. And again. He leaned down, capturing her lips with his. Between the kisses she managed to ask him, “And for you? Was this _special_ enough for you?“ Mostly for the purpose of mocking him, but also with a little shadow of her own insecurity and anxiety.

“Definitely not like any other.“ he replied honestly, his head falling back onto the pillow.

“Not like any other… night?“

 _Not like any other woman._ But there’s no way he would say that out loud. No matter how true it was. So he just mumbled a quiet _mhmm_ , pressing a soft kiss against her neck.

…

By the pace of her steady breathing, he knew she fell asleep. He expected the usual feeling to come. It always comes. It’ll come tonight as well. Mark was fully aware of that. He waited impatiently. He waited for that feeling. The feeling that would let him loose, that would set him free, that would turn him into insensitive, ice-cold silhouette again. He waited for the feeling that would give him right to hope that she’ll be gone in the morning and that he’ll never have to see her again. 

It never came. He wanted her to be there in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the last chapter you can expect sweet morning after and talk about everything that happened and everything that could happen in the future… Hope you enjoyed this one.


	6. Chapter 6

Mark woke up as the morning sunlight barely started to filter through the closed curtains. He blinked a few times in an attempt to get himself aware of everything around him. The first thing that hit him was some kind of flower-ish scent. It was nice… subtly sweet and fresh. Leaning towards a bit, he figured it was coming from her hair.

She was lying on her side, still sleeping peacefully, her back facing him and his arm was around her waist. Her skin was soft and warm under his, and not able to resist, Mark rubbed his palm over her abdomen. She flinched a little, but she hasn’t woken up. A strangled smirk grew on his lips, as he remembered the way her petite body flinched from his touch last night, how amazing she felt under him, and the sound of her moans and pleas that got him every single time.

He was staring at her sleeping figure, mostly focusing on a few red splotches he noticed across her neck and shoulder. He felt a massive wave of want ran through his body, settling in his lower half, just from looking at her, lying like that, naked and weary, between his sheets. Using all of his inner strength to ignore that, he bent down for a second, leaving a light kiss on her bare shoulder, and then carefully got out of the bed.

…

Lexie opened her eyes as some intense, inviting aroma completely filled her nostrils. Coffee. Oh God, she needed coffee. She sat up on the bed, the blanket falling down her body, and suddenly, cool air in the room made all the skin of her naked body prickle. Making the face of displeasure, she laid back down, covering herself again. 

Damn, his bed was too comfortable, too warm... She didn’t want to leave it, not really… So that would be the first thing she had to deal with... she was in his bed. Naked. She was naked in Mark’s bed. Her gaze fell to the side at the empty space. She was naked in Mark’s bed, but Mark wasn’t there...

Even though she was alone in the room, her hands instinctively pulled the covers all over her head as the memories of last night flooded in, all in perfect detail.

She could feel her heart rapidly beating in her chest, not prepared to find out what’s waiting for her when she gets up. In any way possible... she was not ready to face him. The best way to get out of this situation was not to get into it in the first place, and it was far too late for that.

But it felt good... it felt _real_. It felt more real than anything she’d ever allowed herself to experience before. She actually found herself not caring anymore that he was a man she just met, that he was surely a lot older than her, that future for them is totally unpredictable. Being with him just felt so good that... she couldn’t help it.

She knew, though, there was a pretty good chance he wanted her immediately gone. And there was a... slight chance he would be willing to deal with her a little longer.

And as she predicted, everything she felt for him last night, in the restaurant, in the Central Park, while they walked and everything she felt here, in his bed, all of that was still there. But how the hell she was supposed to tell him that?

Inhaling deeply, she finally slipped off the bed and looked at the clothes all around the room. After pulling on her black panties, she stared at the dress on the floor for a whole minute. Okay, so... an image of her pulling that dress on again, and getting across the whole Manhattan to get home afterwards... yeah, there’s no way she’s doing that.

Lexie then glanced at Mark’s shirt she borrowed last night. Or she tried to. For a minute... before he took it off her. But anyway... that was her best choice at the moment. Trying not to overthink her actions, she put on the shirt and nervously left the bedroom.

She found him sitting on the couch in the living room with a newspaper in one and a coffee mug in the other hand. Completely dressed, in a grey shirt and black sweatpants… unlike her. Silently praying that whatever was going on between them won’t turn into some kind of awkward mess the moment she opens her mouth, she shyly greeted him, “Hey...“

Mark looked up at her and couldn’t help but smile as he beamed at the sight of her in his shirt. Damn, he loved her morning voice. Deeper and huskier than its usual tone. Sexier.

“Hey... About time you wake up.“ he smirked, putting away the newspaper.

“What?! What time is it? Please tell me it’s not pass ten?“ she whined in disbelief, as she slowly sat down next to him on the couch, rubbing her forehead. Thank God she asked for a day off...

“Pretty much is...“ Mark assured her, moving a little closer and spontaneously putting his hand on her bare thigh what made her skin immediately burning under his touch. She shivered in surprise, even though she very well remembered how wonderful his fingers felt against her skin. As she felt him caressing her skin slowly, her eyes found his. Knowing that she was blushing way too much in way too short time, she looked away after a few seconds and grabbed a mug from his other hand, tasting coffee from it.

Regretting that decision straight away and making a face of disgust, she put a mug on a coffee table beside them, exclaiming, “Oh God. That’s really bitter.“

Mark tilted his head down, trying to hide his laugh, as he told her, “There’s more coffee, so I can make you as you like.“

“No, I can do it.“

A comfortable silence sat between them as Lexie got up and walked towards the coffee machine on a kitchen counter. While the whole process of… taking a mug, pouring coffee in it, adding sugar and milk... lasted, she could feel his intense and non-stopping gaze fixed on her. She knew her cheeks were getting more and more red every second.

“You’re little.“

Lexie looked up at him, narrowing her eyes in confusion. “I’m what?“

“Little. I don’t remember you being _that_ little last night.“

“I have no idea how to respond to that. But you know, that’s usually how high heels work.“ Lexie said laughing, as she sat back on the couch, holding a mug in her hand and Mark again immediately budged closer to her.

“I didn’t mean it as a bad thing. Somehow it’s just... it’s suits you. Little...“ With those words, Mark’s hand reached up to tenderly stroke her cheek, then moved to cup her jaw, slowly pulling her towards him. He liked calling her little. She fit so well into his arms.

“Is mocking a part of your morning mood?“ Lexie whispered just before she met his gaze and their lips brushed. He kissed her gently for a few seconds, but ended the kiss biting her lower lip. She gasped quietly, her grip around the coffee mug getting tighter, as he pulled away.

“Get used to it. Especially if you’re gonna walk around without any pants all day.“ Mark grinned, his eyes not leaving hers, not even for a second. She had the most inviting gaze, the one he could just drown himself in. And that warmth that was sparkling inside her brown eyes... he once again felt himself become completely hypnotized by them. He enjoyed feeling that warmth, that heat... He enjoyed having someone like that in his life. Someone… _warmer._

“I don’t have any pants to wear.“ she defended herself playfully, but her voice then turned into more serious. “And I’m not planning to stay here all day.“ Those words barely left her mouth, and her look fell down, as she waited for his reaction. Isn’t that what he was expecting? For her to be gone as soon as possible, so both of them could just continue living their lives? Isn’t that how things like this works? 

“You have some place else to be?“

She was surprised with a concerned tone in his voice. It felt almost like... almost like he didn’t want her to leave.

“No... but _I_ _can’t_ stay here all day.“

“Why?“ 

“Why?“ she repeated after him, as she bent over to put a mug on a coffee table. “I don’t know why.“ she exclaimed louder, in a voice that was on the fine line between intriguing and desperate. “I don’t know anything. I don’t what this is, and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do right now.“ Her face flushed bright red, and she looked confused, like she was trying herself to figure out what the hell she just said.

“That’s... a lot of _don’t knows_...“ Mark stated and for a second he thought that she was about to pick herself up and leave. He stared at her, but all the playfulness on his face turned into a serious grimace. He waited for her to say something, but he knew that it was he who supposed to talk now.

It’s not like his mind was blank. It most definitely wasn’t blank. It was full of thoughts. Thoughts of her, about her, of her face, her eyes and lips, her body, her creamy skin, her hair... Full of things he could say.

But again, he felt a familiar block in his brain. A block that was not letting him say things he wanted to say. Why? Because he thought he should always be rational and in control of his emotions? Because he was afraid of being exposed as weak and vulnerable? As someone who actually had feelings.

“Yeah...“ she said smiling softly, almost apologetically. “Care to diminish that?“

“I just...“ he started, his hands reaching for her legs and putting them over his lap. “I felt good being with you. Really good. Like I haven’t felt in a really long time. So I didn’t want to question it or put a logic into it, I just... went for it.“

He was actually surprised with words that left his mouth. It was just a small part of everything that was still locked in his mind, but it was something. He managed to break that first layer of ice. And he was certain that the rest of it would soon melt as well. “And it didn’t matter it was Christmas. I mean I would’ve done all the same...“ Lexie raised her eyebrows, and he hesitated, “Okay that’s a lie. I would’ve probably tried to get you into bed a lot faster. But you can’t really blame me for that.“

Mark finished that sentence seductively leaning in and pressing a soft, light kiss against her still lightly blushed cheek. His lips stayed there for surely a couple of seconds before moving down, landing on her neck, breathing her in. Lexie chucked as he found that ticklish spot just below her ear, but leaned towards him anyway, putting one of her hands across his shoulder and burying the other into his hair.

“It’s not like you haven’t melted for me last night as well.“ Mark whispered and smiled, lifting his head from her neck. His eyes darkened as he captured her lips for a slow, lingering kiss.

“I don’t know what this is. But I’m open to company you for some New Year’s Eve fireworks. As long as you let me kiss you afterwards. And then take you to bed. And make you coffee in the morning.”

“You can work on that last one.” Lexie chuckled against his lips. “Wait. Did you actually make plans for New Year’s Eve? I thought you’re not into making plans.“ She mockingly raised an eyebrow, brushing her knuckles over his beard.

“I saved you last night, little one. Don’t mock me.“ he smirked, slowly pushing her and laying her down on the couch. Their lips found each other again in a deep kiss, as Mark settled himself above her. His hands braced themselves on either side of her, one knee slipping between her thighs to support himself. Lexie whimpered at what he grinned cockily. Then he kissed harder in return, pressing his body tightly against hers.

“You haven’t already made plans for a New Year, have you?“ he asked her between the kisses, one of his thumbs rubbing over her cheek.

She loved the way he touched her. The way his hands were brushing away everything she was always insecure about. Everything she was scared of.

Just a few spontaneous, honest acts of kindness and admiration, turned him from a stranger into a person in whom she finds closeness and safety. Exactly what she needed. She knew she got herself into something undefined. Unknown. Something like nothing before. But that didn’t scare her. It didn’t felt terrifying. It felt... exciting. In a good way.

“Your plans trumps mine.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoyed this story…


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